EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 4 Penn State women's soccer tallied a pair of first-half goals and rode a wave of defensive momentum to a 3-1 result over the defending Big Ten regular season champion Michigan State Spartans on Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium. With the win, PSU moved ahead of MSU for sole possession of the top spot on the B1G table with 13 points through five matches.
Penn State's impressive result in one of college soccer's strongest environments saw the Blue & White climb to 10-0-2 overall this season, the first B1G program to reach double-digit wins in 2023 while rising to 4-0-1 in conference play. PSU is in the midst of its strongest start to Big Ten Conference competition since the 2014 campaign when the Blue & White started the B1G portion of its schedule with a 7-0 record before its first conference defeat against Rutgers. The Nittany Lions' longest unbeaten streak since 2005 continued following the win over MSU, with Penn State going unbeaten through 12 matches for the first time in the Erica Dambach era in University Park.
In a burgeoning Big Ten rivalry series, Penn State picked up its 26th all-time win over the Spartans in the 32nd all-time meeting. PSU owns a 26-6 lead over their counterparts in green, boasting a 12-5 lead in the series overall in East Lansing. The Blue & White have now won back-to-back matches over Michigan State, harkening back to PSU's ninth Big Ten Tournament-clinching win over MSU in the 2022 final from Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. In the last three meetings, Penn State has edged Michigan State by a combined 7-5 score with the Nittany Lions picking up a pair of wins since last year's regular season meeting on Jeffrey Field.
Despite Sunday's final score line, the match proved to be a tale of two wildly different halves, with Penn State dominating the opening 45 minutes and Michigan State responding in the second frame. The Spartans ultimately came away with a narrow 12-10 differential on the shot chart and mustered six shots on goal against Penn State's three. MSU also snagged a win in the corner kick battle, booking eight against the lone Nittany Lion try. The match proved to be Penn State's second win over an opponent when getting outshot and out-attempted in the corner kick competition, joining a 1-0 home win over Nebraska last week as the only other Penn State victory of that nature in 2023.
For the second straight match and fifth time overall this season, senior+ forward Payton Linnehan found the back of the net and moved into sole possession of Penn State's goal-scoring lead this year. Redshirt junior forward Kaitlyn MacBean tallied her third goal of the year on what proved to be the match-winner midway through the first half, making all three of her goals in the 2023 season match-clinching scores for the Blue & White. In her return to the holding midfield position, senior+ midfielder Cori Dyke booked her fourth goal of the season on a penalty kick late in the second half to put the match away. In the passing game, senior defender Eva Alonso registered her seventh assist of the season on Linnehan's first-half score, further separating herself as one of the premier passers in the Big Ten.
Graduate Nittany Lion goalkeeper Katherine Asman turned in another solid day at the office, rejecting four Spartan shots on goal while allowing only one goal. An additional MSU shot on goal was turned away by junior defender Mieke Schiemann, which was recorded as a team save. Asman put together her ninth complete-match outing and fourth consecutive 90-minute performance, rising to 10-0-2 individually following the win. Wake Forest transfer and senior Spartan netminder Kaitlyn Parks was saddled with the loss after allowing three goals with zero saves.
The first five minutes of the match featured the customary feeling-out process between both squads, with neither team able to secure anything more significant than a free kick. What initially looked like a harmless build from the Nittany Lion attack in the sixth minute proved deadly for the Spartan back line, as Alonso took control of the ball on the left-central side of the field around 45 yards away from the MSU goal. Yet another virtuosic service from the Madrid, Spain, native soared into the box for a streaking Linnehan on the righthand edge of the 18. Linnehan chipped the ball over Parks, and the Blue & White struck first a mere six minutes into the contest.
Unsatisfied with the one-goal lead, Penn State remained opportunistic offensively to try and secure a multi-score advantage before the halftime break. Absolutely domineering in the run of play, Penn State crushed MSU in nearly every first-half stat category, highlighted by an 8-4 edge on the shot chart through the opening 45. PSU's second significant scoring chance of the afternoon came in the 26th minute, as Michigan State attempted their trademark buildup through the back line. Parks found newly converted sophomore center back Maggie Illig but an errant pass forced by tough Nittany Lion pressure proved to be a costly error for the Spartans. MacBean was left with the ball all alone against Parks, and the Nittany Lion shoveled a marvelous finish with her right foot on the ground into the bottom left corner of the net. Penn State would carry its two-goal lead into halftime.
After 15 minutes to talk things over, each squad returned to the pitch for the second half of play. Michigan State performed like an entirely different team after the intermission, booking eight shots and seven corner kick chances in the second stanza alone. The Spartans were able to strike back in the 54th minute of the match, as senior midfielder Justina Gaynor collected the ball on the left side of the penalty arc and fed a pass forward to sophomore midfielder Emerson Sargeant. The reigning B1G Offensive Player of the Week, Sargeant, threaded a pass across the goal mouth to senior defender Raegan Cox on the far post, where her right-footed attempt found the back of the net to make it a 2-1 match
Desperate for an insurance goal later in the period, redshirt junior midfielder Olivia Damico attempted a routine run into the box to try and generate a Nittany Lion scoring chance. With a trio of Spartans attempting to curtail Damico's effort, Parks charged forward to try and secure possession in MSU's favor. Without noticing one another, Parks collided with Damico inside the righthand portion of the penalty area, with the officials awarding PSU a penalty kick opportunity. After a brief VAR review to confirm the call, Dyke stepped up to the spot and buried a shot into the lower left side of the net to make it a 3-1 Nittany Lion advantage. Despite MSU's best efforts to construct another scoring chance, Penn State rode its defensive momentum the rest of the way to assume the top spot on the B1G table.
SCORING SUMMARY
6' – A service from Alonso soared into the box for a streaking Linnehan on the righthand edge of the 18. Linnehan chipped the ball over Parks with her right boot into the lower right corner of the Spartan goal. PSU 1, MSU 0
26' – An errant pass forced by tough Nittany Lion pressure left MacBean all alone against Parks, and the Nittany Lion shoveled a marvelous finish with her right foot on the ground into the bottom left corner of the net. PSU 2, MSU 0
54' – Gaynor collected the ball on the left side of the penalty arc and fed a pass forward to sophomore midfielder Emerson Sargeant, who threaded a pass across the goal mouth to senior defender Raegan Cox on the far post, whose right-footed attempt found the back of the net. PSU 2, MSU 1
79' – Parks collided with Damico inside the righthand portion of the penalty area, with the officials awarding PSU a penalty kick opportunity. Dyke stepped up to the spot and buried a shot into the lower left side of the net. PSU 3, MSU 1
UP NEXT
No. 4 Penn State women's soccer returns home to Happy Valley next Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. (ET), as the Nittany Lions welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to Jeffrey Field for the program's annual Wear White match. Streaming is available to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women's soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateWSOC, in addition to the team's Facebook page at /PSUWomensSoccer.
The 30th Season of Penn State women's soccer is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
